How to Make Dog Repellent for Mulch

By Alicia Bodine; Updated September 21, 2017

Mulch helps protect plant roots during the winter months and also helps keep weeds from sprouting and stealing essential nutrients from the plants. Unfortunately, if you own a dog that likes to dig, you could be at risk for the dog discovering the mulch and digging it up. It is best to make a homemade dog repellent and use it on your mulch before your dog has a chance to ruin your hard work.

Pepper Mixture

Pour 1/2 cup of cayenne pepper in a small bowl. When a dog sniffs cayenne pepper it begins to irritate its nose. Your dog will not like this and will stay away from your mulch.

Add 1/2 cup of black pepper to the small bowl and mix the two peppers together. Black pepper when sniffed by your dog will make it sneeze. Again, it is another irritant that your dog will want to stay away from.

Sprinkle the pepper mixture over the mulched area.

Ammonia

Place cotton balls in a bowl. The number of cotton balls needed depends on the size of the mulched area. A small area may only need 20 cotton balls, while a large area could use double that.

Pour ammonia over the cotton balls and allow the ammonia to soak in to the cotton balls. Dogs have a heightened sense of smell and hate the smell of ammonia.

Place the cotton balls all around the area you mulched. You can do this in conjunction with the pepper mixture.

Things You Will Need

1/2 cup cayenne pepper

1/2 cup black pepper

Small bowl

Ammonia

Cotton balls

Tip

Only use the ammonia if you do not have an outdoor cat. If a cat smells ammonia, it will begin to urinate in your mulch to mark its territory.

Warning

Moth balls will repel dogs, but they are toxic. Don't use them.

References

About the Author

Alicia Bodine has been a professional writer for 13 years. She has produced thousands of articles for online publications such as Demand Studios, GoBankingRates and WiseGeek. Bodine is passionate about gardening, travel, education and finance. She has received awards for being a top content producer.